Volunteer Electric Coop electricity rates
Volunteer Electric Coop charges an average of 12.19 cents per kilowatt-hour to residential customers, and the average household on its system paid $144 a month using 1,183 kilowatt-hours, according to its 2024 filing with the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Member-owned cooperative TVA Tennessee
Where Volunteer Electric Coop sits
It serves 104,387 residential customers in Tennessee. At 12.19¢ per kilowatt-hour it is one of the cheaper places to buy electricity in Tennessee, 15.8% under the statewide average of 14.47¢.
Consumption here is high, 1,183 kilowatt-hours a month against a national average of 871. Long cooling seasons, large detached homes and electric resistance heating are the usual causes, and together they matter more to the bill than the rate does.
Owned by the customers it serves, with directors elected by members. Co-ops are frequently outside state rate regulation. That matters because a bill is not only the cost of generating electricity: it also carries the cost of the network, and who owns that network changes how it is paid for.
| Rate | Monthly bill | Monthly kWh | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volunteer Electric Coop | 12.19¢ | $144 | 1,183 |
| Tennessee average | 14.47¢ | $162 | 1,199 |
| United States average | 18.44¢ | $155 | 871 |
Utility figures: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-861 annual electric power industry report, 2024. State and national figures: Electric Power Monthly, May 2026. Methodology
Where Volunteer Electric Coop delivers
Its service territory covers 15 Tennessee counties, either wholly or in part. Utility boundaries follow historic franchise agreements rather than county lines, so a county appearing here does not mean every address in it is served by Volunteer Electric Coop.
- Bledsoe
- Bradley
- Cumberland
- Fentress
- Hamilton
- McMinn
- Meigs
- Overton
- Pickett
- Polk
- Putnam
- Rhea
- Roane
- Scott
- White
How often the power goes out
In 2024 the average Volunteer Electric Coop customer went 685 minutes without electricity across 5.8 interruptions. The median across the 941 utilities that report this is 185 minutes.
That is far worse than typical, and figures at this level almost always reflect a major storm season rather than everyday performance. A single hurricane or ice storm can dominate the annual number.
Other Tennessee utilities
| Utility | Rate | Bill | Customers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville Electric Service | 13.47¢ | $138 | 417,640 |
| City of Memphis | 12.16¢ | $139 | 380,286 |
| Cumberland Elec Member Corp | 12.99¢ | $177 | 100,585 |
| City of Clarksville | 12.77¢ | $143 | 75,953 |
| Johnson City | 12.41¢ | $143 | 72,205 |
Volunteer Electric Coop rates: common questions
How much does Volunteer Electric Coop charge per kilowatt-hour?
An average of 12.19 cents per kilowatt-hour across its residential customers in 2024. That is -15.8% against the Tennessee average of 14.47¢ and -33.9% against the national average of 18.44¢. It is an all-in average across every residential rate schedule the utility offers, not a specific tariff.
What is the average Volunteer Electric Coop bill?
$144 a month, based on total residential revenue divided by residential customers over the 2024 survey year, at an average of 1,183 kWh a month. The national average bill is $155 at 871 kWh.
Who owns Volunteer Electric Coop?
It is classified by the EIA as a member-owned cooperative. Owned by the customers it serves, with directors elected by members. Co-ops are frequently outside state rate regulation.
Is Volunteer Electric Coop expensive compared with other Tennessee utilities?
It ranks #43 of the 83 Tennessee utilities covered here, counting from the most expensive. Nationally it ranks #989 of 1369.